Sunday, October 25, 2026
OTOJATIM – Indonesia is taking initial steps toward a dedicated motorcycle safety assessment program as Indonesian Road Safety Rating (IDRS) develops a framework to evaluate motorcycle safety beyond the availability of safety features.
The initiative, known as the Indonesia Motorcycle Assessment Program (ID MAP), aims to establish a more comprehensive approach to assessing motorcycles sold in Indonesia. Rather than checking only whether a motorcycle is equipped with certain safety systems, the program is expected to move toward evaluating how effectively those systems perform.
Adrianto Sugiarto Wiyono, Head of the IDRS Program, said the current work focuses on developing the testing protocols that will form the basis of future motorcycle assessments.
“The activity today is more about protocol development,” Adrianto explained.
A testing protocol defines the test structure and parameters used to evaluate a vehicle. Establishing these elements is an important step toward creating a consistent assessment framework that can be applied to motorcycles in the Indonesian market.
Moving Beyond Safety Feature Availability
IDRS has previously assessed motorcycles based on the availability of safety features. This approach can establish whether a particular system is present, but it does not necessarily reveal how well that system performs under test conditions.
A motorcycle may have a safety feature listed in its specifications, yet evaluating its actual performance requires measurable parameters and an appropriate testing procedure.
Adrianto said the next phase of the program is expected to move toward performance-based safety assessment.
“Now, the hope is that in the next phase, we will be able to test actual motorcycles. We will test their performance,” he said.
The distinction is important because the presence of a safety system and its performance are two different aspects of vehicle safety. A performance-based assessment would require testing procedures that allow the system to be evaluated against defined criteria.
For IDRS, developing these procedures is part of the groundwork needed before a more comprehensive motorcycle safety rating can be established.
UN R78 as a Reference for Braking Tests
As part of its protocol development, IDRS conducted motorcycle braking tests using United Nations Regulation No. 78 (UN R78) as a reference.
The activity was designed to collect data and examine how braking performance could be assessed within a structured testing framework. The data collection is part of the research process rather than a final comparative rating of individual motorcycles.
According to Adrianto, United Nations regulations provide an accessible starting point for developing the assessment methodology. IDRS intends to examine how the existing requirements can inform a broader safety assessment.
The braking tests therefore serve a specific purpose: helping IDRS develop the methods and parameters that may be used in future evaluations.
The available test data should not, at this stage, be interpreted as a definitive ranking of motorcycle safety. Further analysis is needed before conclusions can be drawn about the performance of individual systems or the suitability of additional assessment criteria.
Learning From Motorcycle Assessment Programs Abroad
ID MAP draws inspiration from assessment programs in other countries, including Malaysia's Motorcycle Assessment Program (MyMAP).
Adrianto said the initiative reflects a broader need to develop motorcycle safety assessment in Indonesia, where a dedicated program of this kind is still being developed.
The intention is to establish a framework suited to the Indonesian market while learning from approaches already used elsewhere.
Developing such a framework requires more than conducting individual tests. It also involves determining which safety aspects should be assessed, how performance should be measured, and how the resulting information can be communicated in a form that consumers can understand.
The program is being developed in stages, with the initial phase focused on the availability of safety features and a subsequent phase intended to evaluate their performance.
More advanced safety technologies could potentially be included in later stages, although the scope and timing of those developments have not yet been established.
A Potential Resource for Consumers, Manufacturers and Government
IDRS sees motorcycle safety assessment as a potential source of information for several groups.
For consumers, a rating system could make technical safety information easier to understand when comparing motorcycles. Instead of having to interpret detailed technical specifications, buyers could eventually use assessment results as an additional reference when making purchasing decisions.
For manufacturers, independent assessments could provide information about how safety systems perform and help identify areas for improvement.
Government agencies could also use the findings as an additional reference when considering future transport safety policies.
However, ID MAP is not intended to replace mandatory vehicle type approval. Adrianto explained that homologation and safety ratings serve different purposes: type approval establishes mandatory requirements, while a rating program can provide additional information about vehicle safety.
Whether findings from independent research are adopted into government policy or future mandatory standards remains a decision for the relevant authorities.
Toward Indonesia's 2030 NCAP Ambition
The development of ID MAP is linked to IDRS's broader ambition to help advance an Indonesian New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) by 2030, including the development of motorcycle safety assessment.
Adrianto said research initiatives such as ID MAP could contribute additional evidence to support the development of safety policies. Independent research may complement studies conducted by government agencies and provide further information for consideration.
The 2030 target remains an ambition for the development of the broader assessment framework, rather than confirmation that a complete national motorcycle rating system will be operational by that date.
For now, IDRS is concentrating on building the foundations of the program through protocol development and data collection.
The next steps will depend on the findings from its research, the refinement of testing methods, and input from relevant stakeholders.
By progressing from feature checks toward performance-based assessment, IDRS aims to establish a more informative approach to motorcycle safety evaluation in Indonesia.
 |
| Data logging equipment used during motorcycle braking protocol development based on UN R78. |
Adrianto Sugiarto Wiyono, Head of the IDRS Program, said the current work focuses on developing the testing protocols that will form the basis of future motorcycle assessments.
“The activity today is more about protocol development,” Adrianto explained.
A testing protocol defines the test structure and parameters used to evaluate a vehicle. Establishing these elements is an important step toward creating a consistent assessment framework that can be applied to motorcycles in the Indonesian market.
Moving Beyond Safety Feature Availability
IDRS has previously assessed motorcycles based on the availability of safety features. This approach can establish whether a particular system is present, but it does not necessarily reveal how well that system performs under test conditions.
A motorcycle may have a safety feature listed in its specifications, yet evaluating its actual performance requires measurable parameters and an appropriate testing procedure.
Adrianto said the next phase of the program is expected to move toward performance-based safety assessment.
“Now, the hope is that in the next phase, we will be able to test actual motorcycles. We will test their performance,” he said.
The distinction is important because the presence of a safety system and its performance are two different aspects of vehicle safety. A performance-based assessment would require testing procedures that allow the system to be evaluated against defined criteria.
For IDRS, developing these procedures is part of the groundwork needed before a more comprehensive motorcycle safety rating can be established.
UN R78 as a Reference for Braking Tests
As part of its protocol development, IDRS conducted motorcycle braking tests using United Nations Regulation No. 78 (UN R78) as a reference.
The activity was designed to collect data and examine how braking performance could be assessed within a structured testing framework. The data collection is part of the research process rather than a final comparative rating of individual motorcycles.
According to Adrianto, United Nations regulations provide an accessible starting point for developing the assessment methodology. IDRS intends to examine how the existing requirements can inform a broader safety assessment.
The braking tests therefore serve a specific purpose: helping IDRS develop the methods and parameters that may be used in future evaluations.
The available test data should not, at this stage, be interpreted as a definitive ranking of motorcycle safety. Further analysis is needed before conclusions can be drawn about the performance of individual systems or the suitability of additional assessment criteria.
Learning From Motorcycle Assessment Programs Abroad
ID MAP draws inspiration from assessment programs in other countries, including Malaysia's Motorcycle Assessment Program (MyMAP).
Adrianto said the initiative reflects a broader need to develop motorcycle safety assessment in Indonesia, where a dedicated program of this kind is still being developed.
The intention is to establish a framework suited to the Indonesian market while learning from approaches already used elsewhere.
Developing such a framework requires more than conducting individual tests. It also involves determining which safety aspects should be assessed, how performance should be measured, and how the resulting information can be communicated in a form that consumers can understand.
The program is being developed in stages, with the initial phase focused on the availability of safety features and a subsequent phase intended to evaluate their performance.
More advanced safety technologies could potentially be included in later stages, although the scope and timing of those developments have not yet been established.
A Potential Resource for Consumers, Manufacturers and Government
IDRS sees motorcycle safety assessment as a potential source of information for several groups.
For consumers, a rating system could make technical safety information easier to understand when comparing motorcycles. Instead of having to interpret detailed technical specifications, buyers could eventually use assessment results as an additional reference when making purchasing decisions.
For manufacturers, independent assessments could provide information about how safety systems perform and help identify areas for improvement.
Government agencies could also use the findings as an additional reference when considering future transport safety policies.
However, ID MAP is not intended to replace mandatory vehicle type approval. Adrianto explained that homologation and safety ratings serve different purposes: type approval establishes mandatory requirements, while a rating program can provide additional information about vehicle safety.
Whether findings from independent research are adopted into government policy or future mandatory standards remains a decision for the relevant authorities.
Toward Indonesia's 2030 NCAP Ambition
The development of ID MAP is linked to IDRS's broader ambition to help advance an Indonesian New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) by 2030, including the development of motorcycle safety assessment.
Adrianto said research initiatives such as ID MAP could contribute additional evidence to support the development of safety policies. Independent research may complement studies conducted by government agencies and provide further information for consideration.
The 2030 target remains an ambition for the development of the broader assessment framework, rather than confirmation that a complete national motorcycle rating system will be operational by that date.
For now, IDRS is concentrating on building the foundations of the program through protocol development and data collection.
The next steps will depend on the findings from its research, the refinement of testing methods, and input from relevant stakeholders.
By progressing from feature checks toward performance-based assessment, IDRS aims to establish a more informative approach to motorcycle safety evaluation in Indonesia.